Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama on Friday criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s just-issued statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II, saying it lacked clarity in its content. In the statement, Abe cited past war anniversary statements that expressed ...

A draft of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's statement to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II includes all of the key words used in the Murayama statement, including "apology" and "aggression," according to NHK.

Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said Wednesday “a sense of crisis” drove him to join protesters outside the Diet who were rallying against legislation that would overhaul the country’s security policies. Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, the 91-year-old expressed concern about ...

Former Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama said Friday he is planning to attend a ceremony China will hold in September to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. “If I receive a formal invitation, I intend to go,” Murayama, who was ...

If the Abe administration tries to weaken or scrap the 1993 "Kono statement," the perception is likely to strengthen in the international community that it is bent on whitewashing Japan's wartime behavior and, even today, lacks respect for the honor and dignity of women.